asked the Home Secretary what answer he has given to the request of the National Executive of the National Amalgamated Union of Shop Assistants, Warehousemen and Clerks to remove the ban on the "Daily Worker"?

I have received the representations of this union, to which an acknowledgment has been sent.

asked the Home Secretary whether where the public shelter provided is not near enough for a householder to watch for fire-bombs on his house, or where special circumstances arise, such as old age of a member of a family, he will allow Morrison table shelters to be given free to persons whose income is below £320?

I have never associated occupation of a table shelter with the performance of fire guard duty, and I could not authorise the issue of such shelters in these cases. Authority has already been given for the issue of table shelters to persons within the income limit who by reason of ill-health or physical infirmity are permanently incapable of leaving the house to make use of other available shelter.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that owing to the lull in enemy activity, many shelters are not at present being used, and are fast getting unusable; and whether he will instruct the local authorities to make frequent examination to ensure the ready availability of all such public shelters?

I have been asked to reply. I am aware that a large number of public shelters are not being used during the present lull in enemy activities, but I cannot accept my hon. Friend's suggestion that because certain shelters are not being used they are rapidly becoming unusable. On the contrary, local authorities are making as frequent inspections as the pressure on their staffs permits to ensure that these shelters will be readily available.

asked the Home Secretary what was the nature of the offence for which Mrs. Kenwright, detained under Regulation 18B, was removed, under disciplinary conditions, to Douglas Prison from Port Erin; and what was the punishment awarded?

Mrs. Kenwright was removed to Douglas Prison not by way of punishment on any specific disciplinary charge but because her conduct in the women's camp was such as to make her temporary removal from camp necessary in the interests of discipline and of the comfort of her fellow detainees.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in any areas invaded, vehicles used by general medical practitioners will be immobilised; and whether the regional commissioner will give the necessary advice?

I would refer to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 29th January to a similar Question asked by my hon. Friend, from which it will be seen that it is not in the national interest to publish in advance detailed information about the categories of vehicles to be immobilised.

asked the Minister of Pensions the number of pension claims that have been referred to independent medical specialists since the commencement of the war in accordance with Part 1, paragraph iv., of the 1940 Royal Warrant; and of such number, in how many cases did the specialist personally examine the claimant?

Since the beginning of the war 96 cases have arisen which were considered to require reference to an independent medical expert on the ground of serious doubt or difficulty on the medical evidence. In 38 of these claims the claim arose in respect of death. Of the 58 claimants in respect of disablement the independent expert, who has unfettered discretion in the matter, decided to examine eight. Personal examination is not, as a rule, considered necessary when there is no difference of opinion as to diagnosis.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Supply the number of tons of cardboard that have been licensed for use for cigarette boxes and cartons since the introduction of Control of Paper (No. 14) Order, on 2nd June, 1940, and up to the termination of the seventh licensing period on 29th November, 1941; and if licences have been granted for the supply, to any one manufacturer of boxes and/or cartons, of more than 1,000 tons of cardboard in total, will he state the name of such manufacturer and the tonnage?

68,902 tons of cigarette and tobacco boards have been licensed by the Paper Control during the period 2nd June, 1940, to 29th November, 1941. A stated quota of board is fixed for each tobacco and cigarette manufacturer, and licences are given to the board mills to supply to converters against this quota. It is not possible from existing records to sub-divide this figure into the quantities used for cigarettes and for tobacco, nor to say how much was supplied to any one box or carton manufacturer

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether he is aware that Great Britain and Poland are the only Allied countries who have not ratified the International Maritime Convention relating to hours of duty at sea; and will he take steps to effect ratification as practical evidence of the nation's gratitude to British seafarers?

The countries which have ratified the International Labour Convention on hours of work on board ship and manning are the United States of America, Australia and Belgium, and it has been ratified subject to certain conditions by Sweden. While it would not be practicable to give effect to the requirements of this Convention during war-time on British ships I regard it as a matter which should receive renewed consideration as soon as circumstances permit.

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the amount of the ordinary mess subscription for the infantry, the cavalry, the tanks, the yeomanry and the artillery, respectively; and whether he is satisfied that all officers commissioned from the ranks are able to pay this sum?

Information as to the average mess subscriptions in each of the arms and corps mentioned is not available. The total mess subscription which an officer may be called upon to pay is, however, limited by King's Regulations to an annual subscription of ten days' pay of his rank plus an additional 15s. monthly, which may in exceptional circumstances be increased to 25s. monthly. In the majority of units the actual subscription is much below this maximum. There is no reason to think that the current rates are excessive for officers commissioned from the ranks.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that troops and their relatives are inconvenienced by the delays, amounting to seldom less than 24 hours, to which correspondence is subjected through the superimposition of the Army postal system on to the civil postal services; and whether more satisfactory arrangements can be arrived at which will meet the question of security and the necessary training of Army postal units for service in theatres of war overseas?

It is essential from the point of view of security that the present form of address for troops in this country should be maintained, and this necessitates the continuance of the existing arrangements whereby this correspondence is dealt with by the Army Postal Services. In some cases this system may cause some slight delay as compared with the civil postal services but there are other cases in which the Army postal service is the more rapid.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether, the next consignment of tinned food from the United States of America and Canada can take the form of tinned fruit, in view of the lack of all fruit in the country?

It would not be in the national interest to utilise the limited amount of shipping space available to import tinned fruit at the expense of more essential foodstuffs.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that British hospitals in different parts of the country are receiving considerable numbers of patients, drawn from the civilian population and from the Fighting Services suffering from a form of gingivitis, a precursor of scurvy, the to vitamin deficiency; and whether, in view of the difficulty of providing natural vitamins in the dietary, he will consider exploring the sources of supply of artificial vitamins, the demand for which may rapidly exhaust present stocks?

I am aware that there has been a considerable amount of infective gingivitis among the Services and some cases among the civilian population. I am advised that the evidence that this condition is due to dietary deficiencies is far from convincing and that there is some reason to think that it is purely infective. With regard to the last part of the Question, I am advised also that potatoes, carrots and turnips contain the vitamins necessary to protect against scurvy and I am not aware of any difficulty in providing these foods.

asked the Minister of Health the number who are now insured under the national health contributory scheme; what the yearly contributions amount to; what is the weekly amount the employers and workers pay, respectively; and what is the State contribution?

I regret that in the time available I am not able to provide the detailed statistics asked hr by my hon. Friend, but I will communicate with him as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Health how many local authorities have made provision for adjudicating officers for the administration of domiciliary relief previous to the circulation of Circular 2000 of the Ministry of Health; what is the number subsequent to the issue of the circular; and will he name the authorities?

Nine authorities were empowered to appoint adjudicating officers before the issue of Circular 2000, namely the county councils of London and Middlesex, and the town councils of Croydon, Kingston-upon-Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield and Wolverhampton. Five authorities have received such powers since that date, namely the county councils of East Suffolk, Kent and Leicester, and the town councils of Lincoln and Smethwick.

asked the Minister of Health the amount of capital expenditure already sanctioned for the provision and equipment of whole-time nurseries for the children of women workers; the number of children for which this expenditure provides; the average cost of administration and maintenance per child per week to public funds in those whole-time nurseries that have been open for six months or more; and the ratio of staff to children in these nurseries?

To ascertain the information asked for would entail a disproportionate amount of labour. I will send my hon. Friend such information on the points mentioned as is readily available.

asked the Prime Minister to which Department appeals against the seizure of railings by local authorities should be addressed?

Complaints against the action of local authorities on the ground that they have scheduled railings otherwise than in accordance with the terms of the Ministry of Supply's direction of 11th September, 1941, should be addressed to the Ministry of Works and Buildings.